The cost of rent, groceries, child care and other everyday needs is a significant source of stress for 77% of U.S. adults, according to the American Psychological Association’s 2026 Stress in America survey.
The national survey, conducted by The Harris Poll, also found that 72% agreed stress is something they simply have to live with.
Financial strain and uncertainty affect daily life
The future of the nation was cited as a significant stressor by 74% of adults. Some 68% said they had become accustomed to uncertainty, and 72% said bad news no longer shocked them as it once did.
APA cautioned that becoming used to chronic stress does not mean people are coping with it in a healthy way.
Nearly half, 47%, said stress, uncertainty or feeling overwhelmed had led them to withdraw from at least one form of social engagement over the previous year. Another 59% felt they were doing everything right but still falling behind, and 56% had lowered their expectations for what they could achieve.
Some AI users seek emotional support from the technology
Among respondents who used artificial intelligence, 49% reported talking with it as a friend and 47% had used it in a role comparable to a mental health professional. Those percentages describe AI users, rather than all adults surveyed.
APA CEO Arthur Evans said accessible technology cannot replace qualified clinical judgment or human relationships.
How the survey was conducted
The report’s methodology identifies a national sample of 3,132 U.S. adults ages 18 and older surveyed online July 29-Aug. 24. Additional sampling increased the numbers of Black, Latino and Asian respondents for subgroup analysis.
Participants came from people who had agreed to take surveys. Responses were weighted to population benchmarks, including age, gender, race and ethnicity, education, region, income, internet use and party affiliation.
Harris reports a 95% Bayesian credible interval of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points for the general-population sample, with wider intervals for subgroups. That measure is different from a conventional margin of error for a random probability sample.
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